Lefty Jorge De La Rosa, the man the Rockies are counting on to prop up their starting rotation, is scheduled to pitch another rehab game for Double-A Tulsa tonight. The plan is for him to throw about 85 pitches. After experiencing forearm stiffness in his last start, this will be a big test for De La Rosa. If he passes the test, the next step is a game Tuesday in Triple-A Colorado Springs with the Sky Sox.

Wednesday afternoon, Dillers starting pitcher Dan Houston pitched OK but took his fourth loss of the season. The right-hander worked six innings, allowing seven hits and three runs. He walked two batters and matched a season high with seven strikeouts. The Drillers lost, 6-2, to Northwest Arkansas.

Sky Sox right-hander Rob Scahill had a maddening outing in a 6-0 loss to Memphis.

Scahill (3-4, 5.79 ERA) held the Redbirds to no hits through the first four innings, but Memphis busted out for six runs on five hits in the fifth inning, including a three-run homer by first baseman Matt Adams. The loss was Scahill first in five starts away from Security Service Field this season, but the right-hander did add eight strikeouts, pushing his team-leading total to 49.

The most impressive thing about Moscoso’s outing was his command. He threw 108 pitches, 80 for strikes. He also struck out nine. The three runs came on two sacrifice flies and a solo homer by Mark Hamilton in the sixth inning.

SAN FRANCISCO — When the Rockies optioned Drew Pomeraz last weekend, it raised eyebrows. The team’s future centers on young pitchers, and no one is more prized than the left-hander acquired in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade.

The Rockies want Pomeranz to work on mechanical issues that should improve his command and perhaps increase his velocity. He has consistently sat between 88 to 91 mph with his fastball this season after topping out at 95 mph last spring with the Indians.

Pomeranz made a statement out of the major league spotlight Sunday, working six scoreless innings in the Sky Sox’s 3-0 victory over Memphis.

Tyler Anderson has remained a mystery since the Rockies drafted him in the first round last June. The left-handed pitcher from the University of Oregon, who has been loosely compared to Jeff Francis, has yet to pitch in the pros, slowed by a groin/hernia issue. He will make his long anticipated debut tonight for the Asheville Tourists. The left-hander has spent the past two months healing and building arm strength in Scottsdale.Read more…

Had Guillermo Moscoso pitched like he did Wednesday against Nashville last week he’d still be wearing a Rockies jersey. Moscoso lost his rotation spot after two disappointing outings against the Mets and Braves. He rallied for Colorado Springs, posting six scoreless innnings in a 6-2 loss to the Sounds.Read more…

Modesto 10, San Jose 7
It’s unfair, of course, but lefty Jorge De La Rosa has become the Rockies’ savior in waiting. But reality struck Monday night in De La Rosa’s second minor-league rehab start.

The Nuts held a 5-0 entering the second inning, but De La Rosa gave up four runs (three earned) on four straight singles. He returned for the third inning but was removed with two outs and one man on because he’d reached his pitch count.

Northwest Arkansas 4, Tulsa 3
The eyes of the Rockies’ brass were on the Double-A Tulsa drillers Sunday. The Drillers lost 4-3 to Northwest Arkansas, but there were some encouraging performances.

Start with reliever Josh Outman, who took another step toward rejoining the Rockies. He pitched one scoreless rehab inning. He didn’t allow a hit, but did issue a walk. He’s scheduled to pitch again tonight.

Third-base prospect Nolan Arenado, who’s struggled over the last couple of weeks, went 2-for-2, with a double, boosting his average to .296.

Second baseman Josh Rutledge seems to be back on track. He got three hits, raising his average to .287.

Colorado Springs 6, Fresno 5
The big news is that right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin, demoted from the Rockies last week, has not reported to Triple-A.

“We’re still working through his issues and trying to get our arms around everything before we move forward,” general manager Dan O’Dowd said today.

On the field, the Sky Sox got some good work out of the bullpen from Stephen Dodson and Mike Ekstrom. They combined to pitch three scoreless innings.

Catcher Matt McBride went 3-for-5, raising his average to .387.

Today’s game between the Sky Sox and Fresno was postponed because of rain.

Modesto 8, Bakersfield 4
Starter Juan Gonzalez pitched six solid innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out two and walking two.

Asheville 8, Lexington 5
Left fielder Tyler Massey, moved up to the No. 2 spot in the order, responded by going 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI’s. Dan Winkler (3-2, 6.82 ERA) pitched five innings to earn the victory as the Tourists snapped a four-game losing streak.

It has, by all measures, been an encouraging start to the minor league season for the Rockies’ affiliates. Tulsa (19-8) remains one of baseball’s best farm teams. And Colorado Springs has featured pitching not seen in decades (thank you talent and humidor).

But Thursday represented a U-turn as two of the team’s top pitching prospects were knocked around. Tulsa’s Edwar Caberera, who has flirted with a no-hitter and a shutout in separate outings, couldn’t escape the fifth inning last night against Arkansas, hammered for six runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. The left-handed changeup artist is 3-2 with a 2.87 ERA.

More concerning given how last year played out was the violent loss of command for Modesto’s Tyler Matzek. Matzek, a former first-round pick, issued eight walks in three innings against the Visalia Rawhide. He struggled through the night with bad body language, clearly frustrated. Matzek’s ERA inflated to 3.58, but the wildness can’t help but sound alarms. Matzek left the Rockies minor leagues last year with the club’s permission to work with his former private coach after nasty bouts of wildness.

In Triple-A, Brandon Hynick made an emergency start in place of Carlos Torres, and lasted four-plus innings in the Sky Sox’s loss 6-1 loss to Sacramento. Right fielder Matt McBride raised his average to .375 with two hits and Jordan Pacheco’s two hits left him at .419. The Sky Sox are 14-14 overall after winning just four of their last 10 games.

Class-A Asheville, 17-10 overall, fell 8-5 to the West Virginia Power. Tyler Massey is hitting .338 with three home runs for the Tourists.

Given the Rockies’ underwhelming starting rotation, the last thing they wanted to hear Wednesday night was that Jorge De La Rosa exited his first rehab start for Class-A Modesto early with an injury. The left-hander was hit on his right hand by a line drive in third inning. He finished the inning — the left-hander didn’t allow a run in his outing — but left as a precaution after 45 pitches.

De La Rosa returned to throw 20 more pitches in the bullpen, meeting the projected goal of 65 pitches for his first rehab game. The 31-year-old is scheduled to start Monday for Modesto then meet the Rockies in San Diego where trainers will re-evaluate his arm and guage his progress during a side session.

De La Rosa’s scheduled is mapped out to make two appearances each for Modesto, Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Colorado Springs. But he could return before making all six starts without any setbacks. De La Rosa reached 94 miles per hour on his fastball, his highest velocity since undergoing elbow surgery a year ago.

“I’m human, and you’re going to be a little scared to throw some pitches,” De La Rosa told The Modesto Bee. “But I don’t want to think too much about it. I just try to make my pitches and pitch for contact, which is what I’ve been doing ever since I started pitching. I knew that would be the hard part. I talked with a lot of people who have been through this and they told me how hard this was and how much they cried during the training, so I was prepared for all of this. I hope it keeps feeling as good as this the rest of the year.”

De La Rosa didn’t figure in the decision, but Modesto rolled to a 10-1 victory. With a win tonight, Modesto (13-14) will reach .500 for the first time this season. Left-hander Tyler Matzek (1-3, 3.28) starts for the Nuts.

Right-hander Tyler Chatwood, who is being counted on to contribute again at the big league level, left his start early for Triple-A Colorado Springs with triceps tightness. He threw only 56 pitches. This setback takes him out of the equation for a promotion anytime soon. If Jeremy Guthrie is unable to come off the disabled list Tuesday in San Diego, Alex White is the frontrunner to replace him. Triple-A reliever Zach Putnam is a strong candidate to join the Rockies’ bullpen this weeked to take Jhoulys Chacin’s roster spot.

The Sky Sox lost 8-3 to Sacramento. Outfielder Matt McBride had three hits and is batting .370. Jordan Pacheco went 1-for-3. He owns a .414 average, but committed his fourth error with the Sky Sox.

In Double-A Tulsa, the Drillers survived a poor start by Joe Gardner, rallying for an 8-7 victory over Arkansas. The top three hitters in Tulsa’s order each had a pair of hits, including Nolan Arenado (.312 average) and Josh Rutledge, who clubbed his fourth home run.

Class-A Asheville split a doubleheader with West Virginia. Trevor Story had three hits in the victory, leaving him with 12 extra-base hits on the season. Delta Cleary delivered two hits in the loss.

Sacramento 7, Colorado Springs 1
It was not a good night for two possible big-league reinforcements. Right-handed pitcher Alex White’s line didn’t look too bad — three runs (two earned), three hits, four walks in 4 2/3 innings — but he needed 86 pitches to get there. The Rockies need more efficiency before White would be called up.

And while Jordan Pacheco’s .418 average is impressive, he committed two errors at third base Tuesday night, one throwing, one with the glove.

Arkansas 3, Tulsa 2
Lefty prospect Nick Schmidt had a nice start for the Drillers. He gave up no runs in 5 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

Infielder Josh Rutledge has yet to get hot at the plate. He went 0-for-4 and his average sits at .255.

Visalia 1, Modesto 0
Modesto 10, Visali 1
Nuts starter Juan Gonzalez allowed a first-inning home run but pitched all seven innings of the first game, allowing just one run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

In the second game, DH Jared Clark hit his second home run of the season and drove in four of Modesto’s 10 runs.

Pacheco, in the DH role, blasted a three-run homer in the first inning Monday night as the Sky Sox improved to 14-11 with a 5-2 win at Sacramento. Pacheco has three homers and is hitting .431.

Last week, Rockies manager Jim Tracy said that if Pacheco continues to rake, he could play himself back onto the big-league roster.

Rob Scahill (3-2, 6.12 ERA) started for the Sky Sox, allowing two runs in six innings. He struck out six and walked four. Reliever Josh Outman’s rehab assignment continues to go well. He allowed no runs and no hits and struck out one in an inning of work.

Right-hander Parker Frazier pitched five innings, allowing one run on five hits. He walked two and didn’t get a strikeout, but he pounded the zone, throwing 50 strikes in 79 pitches.

Delmarva 4, Asheville 1
The Tourists got to see right-handed phenom Dylan Bundy up close and personal.

Bundy, 19, pitches for the Delmarva Shorebirds of Salisbury, Md., in the South Atlantic League. He entered Monday’s game on a remarkable roll: 40 batters faced, no hits allowed, one walk and 21 strikeouts.

The Tourists’ Delta Cleary ended the hitless streak with a leadoff single in the first inning. Cleary also drew a walk off Bundy in the fourth, but that was the extent of Asheville’s offense against Bundy, who struck out four in four innings or work.

Asheville scored its only run in the sixth inning. Will Swanner led off the inning with a double and scored on Jared Simon’s double.

Following the Ubaldo Jimenez trade last summer, my schedule changed unexpectedly. Rather than follow the Rockies, I was heading to Tulsa. I hadn’t been there in years since my family traveled the country drag racing. Tulsa was fantastic. Save the for 116-degree heat that required players to take BP in shorts. Selling shade would make millions there. But the folks with the Drillers were great and accomodating. It reminded me of covering a high school game, when everybody knew the reporter on the beat.

While there I saw Alex White and Drew Pomeranz pitch well enough to eventually earn big-league promotions. I hope there’s another Tulsa trip in my future. The Drillers team is the show now. They are 17-6 after pitcher Dan Houston picked up another win Sunday. The Drillers have pitched well. Houston owns a 3.60 ERA, and he’s not the ace. Left-handed changeup artist Edwar Cabrera threw seven scoreless innings over the weekend. He’s 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA, and continues to baffle hitters with his ability to change speeds. Right-hander Parker Frazier is 1-2, 2.52 ERA, part of a team that has a sparkling 2.86 ERA.

Third base prospect Nolan Arenado has slumped of late, but is still batting .313 with 10 extra-base hits. Outfielder Kent Matthes has four home runs despite a .205 average.

In Triple-A, left-hander Christian Friedrich returned from a hamstring injury and worked five innings, allowing two runs in a 4-3 loss to Fresno. Friedrich has a 2.59 ERA in 24 1/3 innings. Jordan Pacheco, who is playing third and catcher, is hitting .438 and infielder DJ LeMahieu is batting .312. Both can play third base.

In class-A, Modesto’s Christian Bergman won his third straight start. The Nuts are 7-3 over their last 10 games. Outfielder Kyle Parker has still not returned from injury, though he could be back soon.

Former top pick Trevor Story knocked in three runs for Asheville. The shortstop has 15 RBIs in 73 at-bats.

Talk to industry executives, and they’ll tell you that Double-A is often more revealing about future success than any minor-league level. Unlike Triple-A, top prospects almost never skip it. As such, it leaves a strong core of young players grouped together. That’s the case in Tulsa where the Rockies have their best position player prospect, third baseman Nolan Arenado, and some intriguing starters, led by Edwar Cabrera, Parker Frazier and Nick Schmidt. The Drillers won again Thursday night, a 5-3 victory over Arkansas. The Drillers are 14-6.

Though the Drillers lost to Arkansas 2-0 Wednesday night, Frazier lowered his ERA to 2.52 with a strong seven-inning performance. He allowed two earned runs on one hits, struck out four, walked one and induced 13 groundball outs. Frazier, son of George Frazier, the Rockies analyst for Root Sports, was selected in the eighth round of 2007 draft.

The Rockies knew that when they sent him down to Triple-A Colorado Springs to hone his skills as a third baseman.

And while Pacheco continues working to find a comfort zone at third, he just keeps hitting. He went 3-for-5, blasted his second homer of the young season, and lifted his averaged to .459 as the Sky Sox won at Las Vegas 11-6. It was seventh win in the last 10 games for the Sky Sox.

Second baseman DJ LeMahieu also had a big game, hitting 3-for-6 and driving in four runs as he upped his average to .333.

The Double-A Tulsa Drillers edged Arkansas 2-1, winning for the seventh straight time at home. Third base prospect Nolan Arenado went 1-4 and struck out twice. He’s hitting 343. The Drillers are 15-3 and league the north division of the Texas League.

In High-A ball, the Modesto Nuts won their third road game in a row, beating Visalia 3-1.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.